A faithful Christian follower doesn't limit himself to only caring about his own soul. He also thinks about others. He is there to minister to those who already share his beliefs and those who are yet to convert to Christianity. And the best way to spread the word of the Lord is to evangelize. If you are interested in learning what the three types of evangelism are and what methods they use, continue reading below!
Different kinds of Evangelism
What is Evangelism? In its core, it can be defined as the preaching of the gospel to people who don't believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. However, the reality of this concept is more complicated than that. Christians have developed several types of evangelism, each having its own methods. While some pastors can name up to eight different styles, we'll focus on the main three: Pulpit, Passive, and Aggressive Planned.
Pulpit Evangelism
Priests and pastors use Pulpit Evangelism in our churches and cathedrals. This style of evangelism is both the most and the least efficient one. It deals with preaching to a large group of people at the same time. And while this way allows you to reach many hearts simultaneously, you can never be sure how much of what you're saying is being heard.
The preacher doesn't have eye-to-eye contact with any particular individual. Thus, it's almost impossible to establish a personal connection and figure out which words each person needs to hear. As a result, pulpit evangelism has a rather commanding, formal tone. This leaves any listener of the gospel to think everything through on his own.
Aggressive Planned Evangelism
This is a direct opposite approach of the Pulpit Evangelism, as its main advantage is eye-to-eye contact. And while most Christians can't practice the first type, nothing is stopping them from Aggressive Planned preaching.
The heart of Aggressive Planning Evangelism lies in walking up to a complete stranger outdoors and sharing the word of God with them. Each time a Christian does such an act, he is showing his love both towards the Lord and the person they're trying to help. In this context, love isn't just a feeling, but also a form of free will exertion and pure intentions.
Aggressive Planning Evangelism doesn't demand too much effort on your part. All you have to do is to dedicate two or three hours per week to share your faith with strangers. According to the Bible, spreading the words of Jesus is the most significant act of love that we're capable of. "Why is that the case?" You might ask. Because if a Christian lets someone die without ever knowing Jesus Christ, then that person will go to Hell forever. By preaching the gospel, you can grant him a chance to spend his eternity in heaven. And being aware of that, how can you not dedicate two hours a week to this cause, knowing what an effect it can have?
Of course, it can be scary to just casually approach a stranger and start talking to him about such a deep spiritual subject. This is especially true for shy, timid people that are used to a small circle of friends. The person you speak with can judge you for your weaknesses or insecurities. However, you have to remember that you're not there to talk about yourself, but about God, and He is perfect.
This evangelism style is the only one that allows for people unfamiliar with Christianity to receive answers to the questions that were torturing them for a long time. It also allows you to give someone that final push if they were on the fence about believing in Jesus before.
Passive Evangelism
There are three environments where Passive Evangelism takes place: in the workplace, in the neighborhood, and at home. How does this type work? Naturally. If you work near someone for eight hours each day, if you talk to your neighbors and they witness your lifestyle, and if you live with your parents, siblings, wife\husband and children you are influencing all of them.
The Bible teaches us that we must fight not against our physical state, but against Satan that has bound our hearts and souls in chains. A devote Christian demonstrates his faith in his everyday actions. It doesn't matter if it's showing your work ethic, helping a neighbor out without a reward, or being a loving father or son, it all reflects on the people around you. Thus, when you do preach the gospel to them, they can be sure that your words deserve respect and attention, and so does God.
Now that you know what the three evangelism styles represent, let's talk about what strategies they use to spread the Faith.
Evangelism methods and strategies
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As we mentioned before, most Christians don't get to practice Pulpit Evangelism, so let's focus on the ways to evangelize that are available to simple followers of God:
1. Outdoor preaching
This method is also often called "street preaching". It requires an ample open space with some kind of a pedestal in the middle. From there, the evangelist spreads the gospel, sometimes gathering enormous crowds around him.
2. Door-to-door preaching
This strategy is usually used by a group of people, as they travel around town. Sometimes, they just try to speak with people. And at other times, they simply give out books, not wanting to disturb the home owners or be a nuisance. Experience suggests that the most efficient groups consist out of three people and have both men and women.
3. Lifestyle preaching
As we mentioned in the Passive Evangelism paragraph, a Christian's lifestyle has a significant effect on the people around him. Through kind acts and readiness to help, a man can convey values that sometimes can't be expressed through words. The people that practice this method are convinced that it's harder to live the Gospel than just to preach it. Thus, more people will accept Jesus Christ as their savior, if they lead by example.
4. Artistic preaching
Christian songs, theatre plays, and movies can all serve as effective methods to spread the word of God. Let's face it, most people won't sacrifice their main means of entertainment. So why not add the Gospel to those arts, so that they not only bring joy but give people faith as well?
5. Booklet preaching
This method involves evangelists either giving out tracts in person or distributing them at public places such as restaurants, cinemam or malls. It's beneficial to leave some contact information in the booklet as well as some engaging illustrations. This method gives the best result when paired with other types of evangelism strategies.
6. Internet preaching
As the Internet is winning over millions of new users each year, it would be a waste not to use such a powerful resource to spread the gospel. This can be achieved in different ways. An evangelist can create either an official church website, start a Christian-themed blog, develop Gospel presentations, etc.
7. Relationship preaching
This method has two sides to it. First of all, it allows you to deepen the faith of the people near you that already are followers of Jesus Christ. Secondly, it grants you an opportunity to reap the most out of your relationships with unbelievers and teach them the ways of the Lord.
Now you know both the main types of evangelism, and what methods Christians use to spread their faith across the world. Feel free to share this article with anyone who might benefit from learning this information, and may God protect us all!
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Source: Naij.com
ROSY CREST
Thursday, 19 October 2017